Dear Colleagues and Friends,
I'm so pleased to announce that Kirsten Darrington has been hired to serve as our agency's next Division Director. I feel very comfortable handing the baton to Kirsten. Also in the realm of good news, we're delighted to welcome Kari Ross Nelson as our new Director of Museum Field Services and Lifelong Learning. Please read more about both of them below.
Let me use my final newsletter intro to thank you all — friends, colleagues, and staff — for being such wonderful partners and collaborators over the years. Working to support Utah's cultural community has been my dream job. Thank you all for helping me along the way!
Warm regards,
Victoria Panella Bourns
Director, Utah Division of Arts & Museums
P.S. As always, you can find us on Instagram and Facebook at @utahartsandmuseums. A list of our newsletters that you can subscribe to is on our Newsletters webpage. Looking for a past newsletter? Check out our Past Newsletters webpage.
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- The Utah Nonprofits Association offers the Nonprofit Credential in areas such as fundraising, marketing, and volunteer management.
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Creative West is offering a Capacity Building Webinar Series, a year-long lineup of free professional development workshops for artists and arts organizations. Join them the second Tuesday of each month from 4 to 5:30 p.m.
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The Institute of Museum and Library Services is now accepting applications for its FY26 discretionary grant cycle. There are a number of museum grant programs to be aware of.
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The DeVos Institute of Arts and Nonprofit Management is offering “An AI Roadmap for Nonprofit Arts and Culture Organizations.”
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The National Assembly of State Arts Agencies has free advocacy resources for nonprofit arts organizations.
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ArtsHub has resources, training, and support to help arts and culture organizations advance accessibility.
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The National Endowment for the Arts’ annual Blue Star Museums Program is open. The program encourages museums, zoos, botanical gardens, historic houses, etc. to offer free admission to active-duty military personnel and up to five family members. The program runs through Sept. 7.
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Utah Humanities is accepting applications for their Oral History Grants. Receive up to $3,000 to support an oral history project. Draft applications are due August 1.
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Art Preservation Fund is a newly launched national initiative expanding access to conservation funding and expertise for museums, historical societies, archives, tribal organizations, and other collecting institutions across the nation. They are currently in the early stages of fundraising and organizational development, with plans to open their first grant application cycle in Fall 2026.
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Welcome (Back) Kirsten Darrington! |
We’re delighted to welcome Kirsten Darrington as our new Director at the Utah Division of Arts & Museums! Kirsten is an experienced arts administrator, grantmaker, and public servant with more than 15 years of experience strengthening Utah’s arts and cultural landscape. She currently serves as a program officer at the George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Foundation, where she helps manage more than 400 grants annually for nonprofit organizations across the state. Kirsten previously served as director of Salt Lake County’s Zoo, Arts, & Parks Program, as well as assistant director of our agency back in 2013-16. Her professional background also includes work with Utah Symphony | Utah Opera, Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company, and the Utah Shakespeare Festival. Throughout her career, Kirsten has been dedicated to expanding access to the arts, supporting cultural organizations, and building collaborative partnerships that enrich communities throughout Utah. She holds a B.A. in arts administration from Westminster University and an MFA in arts administration from Southern Utah University. Kirsten lives in Taylorsville with her family and enjoys taking her kids to as many arts events as possible.
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We’re pleased to announce Kari Ross Nelson as our new Director of Museum Field Services and Lifelong Learning! Kari has been conducting research and evaluation as both a staff member and consultant for a number of organizations in the state, including Thanksgiving Point, Natural History Museum of Utah, Utah Historical Society, and our agency. Kari was raised in Santa Rosa, California, where she attended Santa Rosa Junior College before moving to Utah and attending Brigham Young University. She has an M.A. in museum studies from San Francisco State University, an M.S. in instructional psychology and technology from BYU, and a PhD in instructional technology and learning sciences from Utah State University. Kari began her career working in acquisitions at a university library. After several years as a museum educator, she shifted focus to research and evaluation. Says Kari, “My first love is spending time with my family. I also enjoy knitting, gardening, going to new places, and checking out museums when I'm there! A couple of my favorites are the Petersen Automotive Museum in L.A. and the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh.”
NOTE: We’ve opened the recruitment for our next Museum Field Services Manager. Please visit the link below if you’re interested in applying. The application closes August 10.
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Breaking Barriers Conference |
Art Access and the Utah Division of Arts & Museums invite you to join us for the Breaking Barriers Conference. This conference is for past participants of the Breaking Barriers program and their peers, as well as for anyone interested in advancing accessibility within their organization. The conference is free and will take place on Monday, Aug. 24 over Zoom.
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Breaking Barriers Training |
Our Breaking Barriers program is accepting applications for our next cohort training, taking place virtually Aug. 19 through Sept. 23 on Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to noon. This free training is for cultural organizations to enhance their knowledge of disability accessibility. Participants receive 12 hours of instruction over six weeks, as well as a one-hour consultation provided by Art Access staff. Participants will develop plans to make their physical sites and organizations more accessible to everyone. Apply by July 29.
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“40 Years of Folk” on Display |
First opening as a venue for Utah folk art in 1986, the Chase Home Museum of Utah Folk Art has been a valued space of our agency for 40 years. In honor of the history of the museum and the artists who have played a vital role in its journey, we invited all artists who have worked with our museum to submit artwork for “40 Years of Folk.” This exhibition showcases the variety of artists involved in exhibitions and programming at our museum over the past 40 years. Check it out before Aug. 22.
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Our Living Folk Arts Education workshop series is accepting applications. This free program allows folk artists from the UA&M Teaching Artists roster to offer hands-on workshops to schools and community groups around the state. Groups can select from a wide range of traditional arts workshops taught by Utah folk artists. You can hold a workshop at the Chase Home Museum in Salt Lake City or arrange to have the artist come to your location.
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Join us each Monday at the Chase Home Museum, in the center of Salt Lake City's Liberty Park, for free outdoor entertainment through Aug. 17. Attendees are invited to bring lawn chairs, blankets, and picnics to Mondays in the Park, an annual series featuring traditional folk music and dance performances.
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Our grants for the FY27 year are either open or opening soon. Folk Arts Apprenticeships opened July 6, Individual Artist Advancement Grants opened July 20, and Creative Aging Grants open Aug. 3. For more information and application instructions, visit our Project Grants page.
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| Are you interested in a reading or workshop with Utah Poet Laureate Lisa Bickmore for your school or community group? Learn more at the link about booking an appearance. Requests are honored based on the nature of the request and the availability of the poet laureate.
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We’re proud to support Utah Creative Aging Coalition’s Kaleidoscope Festival, Utah’s first statewide creative aging festival. This month-long celebration honors the creativity and vitality of older adults through performances, classes, exhibits, and events. The festival kicks off on Aug. 22 in Salt Lake City, followed by arts experiences across Utah through Sept. 19. Registration is open. Classes are for adults 55+, are free of charge, and are available on a first-come, first-served basis.
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Victoria Panella Bourns,
Division Director
Katherine Potter,
Interim Commissioner
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| 3760 S. Highland Drive
Millcreek, UT 84106
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